Dungeness Crab Pasta

Dungeness Crab Pasta

Dungeness crab season is something everyone on the west coast looks forward to each year. It usually starts in November and runs through June/July. Its definitely less expensive than their cousin the King Crab, but don’t let that make you think they are any less delicious because they are really tasty! However, they do not have the big meat like their cousin which lends them to be better suited for dishes like pasta, soups, dips, etc.

This is a super simple crab pasta recipe that allows the crab to shine. A splash of wine, a knob or two of butter, a little garlic, a bit of spice and some lemon juice rounds it all out very nicely. Grab some help when it comes time to get the meat out of the shells. It’s more fun that way!

Cooking Note: I’ve found that 1 crab is enough meat for 2 people so plan accordingly. Also, you could use pre-picked crab, you’d just lose the fun of cooking with someone in the kitchen 🙂

Dungeness Crab Pasta

2 dungeness crabs or about 1 pound of crab meat, pickd through to discard any shells

8 ounces of dried spaghetti

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 red chile, minced

1 lemon and the zest

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

1/2 - 3/4 cup of white wine

2 tablespoons of butter

Olive oil

Salt

Parsley

Crab

1 cup of white wine

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 shallot, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 lemon sliced

Instructions

If you are steaming your own crab, add all the ingredients into a larg pot with a lid. Turn the heat on to medium and steam the crab for about 15 minutes. Let the crab cool and then get to work with getting the meat out

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add in some salt and then the pasta. Cook until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, add the tomatoes into a large sautè pan with some olive oil. You want to blister them. Once that happens, add in the chili, garlic and shallots for a minute or two. Add in the wine and let cook down a few minutes. Add in the the zest of the lemon and the juice of the lemon.

Pinch of salt.

Add in the pasta and the butter. Stir until incorporated. Gently mix the crab meat and parsley into the pasta. Taste and see if you need to add anything else.

Tip: I like to gently reheat the crab in butter before adding it into the pasta but it's not necessary.